Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: Friction

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A collection of experiments where students can learn about how friction works and affects the physical world. At the end, students design a tortoise to win by slowing it down using friction. Lesson includes explanation of the concept of...
Activity
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Thinking Fountain: Friction

For Students 3rd - 8th
The Thinking Fountain provides this simple experiment for understanding friction and it relationship to energy.
Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Reporters: Friction

For Students 9th - 10th
Step into Dirtmeister's Science Lab and become a Science Snooper! Work side by side with him as he sets out to answer the challenge question: "How does the force of friction affect us in our daily lives?"
Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Activity: Frictional Force Experiment

For Students 9th - 10th
A lesson about friction can be found on this website. Students will experiment to see how motion and frictional force affect the game of football.
Activity
Science Museum of Minnesota

Thinking Fountain: Friction

For Students 9th - 10th
This science experiment provides a nice introduction to friction and bearings.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Force of Friction

For Teachers 6th - 9th
In the first of two lessons of this curricular unit, students are introduced to the concept of friction as a force that impedes motion when two surfaces are in contact. Student teams use spring scales to drag objects, such as a ceramic...
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Moving Cans Experiment

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Investigate motion using straws and two soda cans.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Sliding Textbooks

For Teachers 5th - 7th
In this culminating activity of the unit which highlights how forces play a role in engineering design and material choices, students explore and apply their knowledge of forces, friction, acceleration, and gravity in a two-part experiment.
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Torque

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment how torque causes an object to rotate. This interactive simulation shows how angular acceleration, moment of inertia, angular momentum, and torque relate to one another.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Pendulum of Fear Experiment

For Students 1st - 5th
Demonstrate how friction affects the energy in a pendulum.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Inertia: An Object in Motion Will Tend to Stay in Motion

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity is a take off of Galileo's experiment with the inclined planes to show that an object in motion would stay in a straight line motion if no outside forces acted were acting on it. In this version, students will roll a ball...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: Don't Slip! [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson plan students experience friction by sliding a block of wood over sandpaper. Students will experiment with frictional forces by measuring with spring scales or rubberbands.
Interactive
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Newtons Laws: Rocket Sledder Interactive

For Students 9th - 10th
Experience the effect of friction, air resistance, and applied force upon a sledder. The speed, acceleration, and force values are displayed as the sled moves. Learners can vary the mass of the sledder and the size of the parachute...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Forces: Pop Bottle Rockets

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lab, students will work on scientific inquiry skills: observation, developing questions, conducting an experiment, and collecting data. They will investigate forces using pop bottle rockets that they have designed.
Activity
Teachers TryScience

Teachers Try Science: Let It Roll

For Students 3rd - 8th
Here's an easy experiment, using common household items, that will show you all ball bearings work.
Interactive
Other

My Physics Lab: Chaotic Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment with a damped driven pendulum to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, gravity, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. Site includes equations to help students understand what is...
Interactive
Concord Consortium

The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Crawler

For Students 9th - 10th
Adjust variables to experiment with a worm like structure to see how the changes affect its movement.
Lesson Plan
Other

Teaching Ideas for Primary Teachers: Science Ideas

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
A great resource to discover fun new activities to use in your classroom. Activities are age-appropriate, and span several science topics.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Mechanics Mania

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Through ten lessons and numerous activities, students explore the natural universal rules engineers and physicists use to understand how things move and stay still. Together, these rules are called "mechanics." The study of mechanics is...
Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Identify Your Fingerprints

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Become a forensic investigator, and follow these simple step-by-step instructions to take, examine, and identify your fingerprints.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Com Padre: Science on a Skateboard Applications of Newton's Third Law

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson, learners explore Newton's Third Law of Motion. It involves an activity where they throw a medicine ball while seated on a wheeled cart with minimal friction between the cart and the floor. After completing the experiment,...

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